A step behind
by lalez
Summary: Oneshot about how Ray may have felt during Haunted.


**My take on what Ray may have felt during Haunted. Enjoy and review. Thanks.**

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><p>He was going to be in the city anyway and he had enough time so why not drop by the ER and see everyone again. It was a good opportunity to meet them again. Well that was what he was telling himself the whole way there to calm his nerves. Yes he was writing her mails and letters and postcards but that was something friends always do and they are friends. Why was he so nervous then? After he had brought his stuff to the hotel he went to the hospital. To not be spotted the second he arrived he tarned himself as one of the many Halloween goers but how would he get in without being busted? When he arrived at the waiting area Frank just came back from a doughnut run. Thank god for that and after enlisting the desk clerks help he was in and sitting on the bed in curtain three observing the lay of the land. There were a couple of new faces around but otherwise it was the same chaos and drama as always. The mermaid most definitely is an intern and she probably is the idiot in their little merry group because no one else was dressed up. Well Julius Cesar – Frank doesn't count.<p>

The plan was for his friends to come over and examine him but he had to leave it up to Frank to bring him his first 'victim'.

There he was Archie Morris and his all-time favorite enemy Tony Gates standing at the admit desk and Frank came over from the Trauma rooms. Ray heard Frank telling Morris to go see the patient in curtain three and he also saw the dismissive look on Archie's face when he spotted the Frankenstein person but Frank dragged him over anyways. After a little while he had surprised every single member of the ER staff and even the interns by now had to have noticed that the patient in curtain three is some sort of VIP but the most important person hadn't been down in all that time. Ray grew a little restless and so he walked around a little. Was he really that nervous? She is just a friend like the rest of them, right? Judging from the faces the others made right now she was there and that was when she came over. When she introduced herself Ray could hear the irritation and anger in her voice already and so he couldn't resist in aggravating her a little more. It was all worth it when he pulled the mask off and saw her happiness in her sparkling eyes. And you could argue that between them 'Bastard' was a term of endearment. It felt really good to see her again. She seemed happy and in a good place and he really didn't care that most of the ER staff was staring at their reunion like it was some kind of movie scene. They never really talked about 'them' and god forbid relationships so he wasn't really sure if Neela was seeing someone and to be honest he was too afraid to ask her directly. Her smile alone had been worth the trip and hurtful memories. The way her face had lit up when she saw him made his heart soar. He could've done without the run in with the new chief. The woman seemed rather strict, kind of like an Afro-American Weaver. Walking with Neela and seeing her in action was amazing. She had developed quite a bit but seemed a little off, maybe due to his being here or was it the new Australian guy?

Talking to Morris in the lounge had been nearly like old times but back then Pratt would've been there too. It felt wrong somehow sitting there and talk without him. He never meant to ask if Neela really was seeing someone but he couldn't deny how happy he felt when Morris told him she was single. Well he said to his knowledge but hiding a relationship in the ER or in County was next to impossible as history tells us. Besides Archie somehow always knew the newest gossip. But if Neela wasn't seeing someone this Brenner guy certainly was interested. He kind of reminded him of Gates at the beginning. Back then he had pointed out his superiority to the other man to scare him off but now he was inferior. On the subject of Tony Gates. That had been one strange encounter. The ex-paramedic had greeted him in a, well you could say, friendly and normal – between other people – way. He had to ask Archie about that because not only he had thought that was strange. The other people around the admit desk had looked surprised too.

The afternoon and early evening he spent with Neela felt like old times. The playful banter and their familiarity with each other. At first he was hesitant to show her his heart but as the evening progressed he couldn't help himself and kissed her. He couldn't say if he was angry or glad that the Brenner guy had interrupted them but now he knew for sure, that guy was clearly more than a co-worker.

She had played with him again and as always he was one step behind his opponent.

Maybe he had forgotten one song on his mix for Neela: **Quit playing with my heart**!


End file.
